Reversible latch



(Modal.)

J; BROUGHTO-N. Reverslble Latch No. 242,261. Patented May-31,1881.

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NEED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BROUGHTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

REVERSIBLE LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,261, dated May 31,1881,

Application filed September 20, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, .IoHN BnoUGHToN, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Reversible Latch-Locks, of which the following isa specitication.

Myinvention consists in the combination, in

' a latch-lock, with a lever and an independent reversible latch-bolt,of a hook pivoted at one end to said lever and at the other end hookingonto the latch-bolt, and adapted to be dis-- engaged from said bolt bylifting it in a plane parallel with the side plates of the lock-case.

It also consists in a novel means of holding and applying a spring whichexerts a pressure upon the hook to hold it in engagement with the bolt.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented two diii'erentmodifications, both of which embody my invention. Figure l represents aview ot' a lock with the side plate of' the case removed. Fig. 2represents a section ot a portion of the lock upon the dotted line m x,Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a top view of the hook detached from otherparts. Fig. 4 represents a view ot' a lock of slightly modiied form,with the side plate of the case removed and the bolt in dotted outlinepartly withdrawn from the case. Fig. 5 represents a section ot' aportion of the lock upon the dotted line y y, Fig. et; and Fig. 6represents a top view of the hook detached from other parts.

Similar letters ot' reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

In Figs. l and 4 I have represented a dotted outline ofthe locking-boltin the lower part oi' the case; but this forms no part of my invention.

Referring' iirst to Figs. l, 2, and 3, which represent a lock in whichthe bolt is reversed by partly withdrawing it from the case and thenturning it, A` designates the latch-bolt, which has a round shank, ct,fitting in a halt'- round bearing or guide, b, upon the case, and thecollar c at its rear end. The said bolt is also furnished upon oppositesides with notches d, the purpose otl which will be hereinafterexplained.

B designates the lever, which differs but little from those ordinarilyused in locks of this class; and O designates the hub, the wings e ot'which act upon the leverto operate it.

The bolt A is independent of the lever B- that is, it is not connecteddirectly therewith, but by a hook, D, of peculiar form, having at oneend an eye,f, engaging with ateat or pin upon the lever, and at theother end a projection, g, which engages with one of the notches d inthe bolt A. The hook engages with the 6o bolt by a transverse movement,and when not otherwise actuated is held in engagement with said holt bya spring, h, acting upon a projection or lip, t', upon the hook, thespring fitting between said projection or lip and a lug, j, projectingfrom the lever B and provided with a teat or pin for holding thespring'in place. To reverse the bolt the hook must be lifted in a planeparallel with the side plates of the lock-case sufficiently to disengageits projec- 7o tion g from the notch d in the bolt, and they latter maythen be pulled out or withdrawn from' the case until the collar cstrikes against the bearingor guide b. The bolt is then turned haltround or reversed, and then pressed back into the case until the end ofthe shank a strikes against the shoulder a upon the hook, when the hookD, by the action ot' the spring h, will be pressed into engagement withthe notch d.

The removable plate E of the case has in it a hole or aperture, k,through which any instrument, such as an awl, or even a splinter of woodor a pencil or the point of a screw, may be inserted into a depressionor notch, l, in the face of the hook D to raise the latter and disengage it from the bolt A. In order to prey vent any dirt from gettin ginto the case through the hole or aperture k, or the insertion ofanything which would prove an obstacle to the 9o action of the lock, thehook is constructed so that it laps over the bolt and serves as ashutter or guard to cover the hole or aperture, as clearly shown in Fig.2. rIhe distance of the depression or notch l into which the instrumentis inserted to lift the hook D from the pivot of the rod is so muchgreater than the distance from the said pivot to the spring h that avery slight force will serve to raise the rod.

F designates a pivoted thumb-stop, which projects through the top ofthecase, and which IOO may be turned down so as to bear against a shoulder,mf, upon the hook D when it is desirable to lock the latch-bolt.

Then the lock is used as a mortise-lock the hole or aperture 7c in thecase is concealed within the mortise, thus preventing anything frombeing inserted to lift the rod D; and when said lock is used as arim-lock the screw a, which aids in seeming the lock to the door, isinserted directly over the hook, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4; hence thehook cannot be lifted until the screw is taken out.

Referring now to Figs. 4l, 5, and 6, which represent a lock in which theholt is entirely withdrawn from the case to reverse it, the bolt A,instead of having a round shank7 as in the previously-deseribed lock,has a flat shank, in which is a slot7 o, which en gages with a bearin gor guide, p, in the ease. 'Io reverse the bolt the hook D is lifted, aspreviously described, sutlieiently to disengage its projection g (seeFig. (l) from the notch d, and the bolt is then withdrawn. After heiligreversed the bolt is thrust or pressed back into the case until theshoulder q upon it strikes against the end ofthe hook, as shown in Fig.4. Then the bolt is withdrawn the hook D is held against downward movement by a pin orgn ard, a', upon which it rests.

The th umh-stop F, instead of engaging with the hook, as previouslydescribed in the lock shown in Fig. 1, engages with the end of the boltA.

When constructed and held in place accord ing to my invention the boltcannot drop ont accidentally or be reversed by accident or 1nischief,and it will be seen that the lever and bolt are so connected that thereis no lost mo tion between them.

I am aware that it is old to employ in a reversible latch-lock a boltwhich is connected directly by a pin with the lever, and which may bedisengaged from said pin by a movement sidewise.

I am also aware that it is old to connect a latclrbolt with a lever ofpeculiar form by inserting the bolt between jaws on said lever andretaining it there by means ot' a sliding locking-pin which may be movedlongitudinally when it is desired to reverse the bolt.

I am also aware that it is old to employ in a lock a lever or yoke ofpeculiar form and a latch-bolt permanently connected therewith, the saidlever being prevented from moving sufficiently to enable the bolt to beturned until one of the securing-screws ot' the lock is removed.

I am also aware that it is old to employ in a latch-lock a follower fortransmitting move ment from the lever to the bolt and a spring actuatedbelterank lever which offers a resistance to an outward movement oftheboltsntA tieient to enable said bolt to be turned.

In none oi' the above-referred-to constructions is the bolt actuatedfrom the lever by means of a hook which is lifted to disconnect saidbolt from said lever and leave it free to be drawn out and reversed, andI therefore do not claim them as of my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The combination, in a latch-lock, with a lever and an independentreversible latch-bolt,

ot' a hook pivoted at one end to said lever and at the other end hookingonto said latch-holt, and adapted to be disengaged from said bolt bylifting it in a plane parallel with the side plates ot' the loekcase,substantially as specified.

2. The combination ofthe bolt A, the lever B, constructed with a lug orprojectiomj, the hook D, pivoted at one end to said lever and hooking atthe other end onto said bolt, and the spring h, inserted between saidlng or pron jection j and said hook D, and serving to resist the liftingot" said hook, substantially as specitied.

JOHN BROUGHTON.

Witnesses CHANDLER H ALL, T. J. KEANE.

